Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Psychology > Key Approaches > Flashcards

Key Approaches Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Psychology 101 flashcards GRE® Psychology flashcards AP® Psychology flashcards
1
Q

What are the 6 approaches in biology

A

Behaviourism
Social learning theory
Cognitive approach
Biological approach
Psychodynamic approach
Humanistic approach

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is a paradigm

A

A set of rules or assumptions used by all members of a science community

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is an empirical method

A

Investigate concepts you can directly perceive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is objectivity

A

Study in a way that is not biased

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is replicability

A

Studies should be designed in a way that you can repeat them in exactly the same way.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are general laws

A

The idea behind the research should be to create an average law which works every time

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Behaviourism : Ideas/beliefs

A

the idea that all behaviours are learned through interaction with the environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Behaviourism : Research methods

A

Ivan Pavlov, John Watson, and B.F. Skinner used classical and operational conditioning.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is classical conditioning?

A

A learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired: a response which is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Pavlov’s dog (1897)

A

Dogs would associate the sound of a bell (NS then CS) with the food (UCS), and drool (R) to the CS

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is operational conditioning?

A

A learning process where behaviours are modified through the association of stimuli with reinforcement or punishment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Skinner’s rat (1938)

A

Rats learnt from trial and error that pulling on a lever would release a food pellet. The lever pulling behaviour became more frequent and deliberate over time. The rats also learnt to press the lever to stop the floor of the cage being electrocuted for 30 seconds

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is negative and positive reinforcement?

A

Positive = adding a stimulus to increase a behaviour
Negative = removing a stimulus to increase a behaviour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Strengths of behaviourism

A

Little albert (Watson 1920) showed fear could be a learnt response, suggesting not instinctual, leading to development of behavioural explanation and counter conditioning treatments for phobias.
Behaviourists use objective scientific experimental methods - systematically manipulating variables (observable cause and effect)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Weaknesses of behaviourism

A

-Token economies seen as unethical
-Research mostly with animals therefore generalisation to human behaviour could be limited
- Environmentally deterministic, suggesting behaviours result from learning from the environment not free will.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Social learning theory : Ideas/beliefs

A

Social learning theory suggests that people learn through observation and imitation of role models, via vicarious reinforcement with the help of mediational processes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is imitation

A

Others behaviour is observed, if behaviour is rewarded we are more likely to repeat the behaviour and vice versa (vicarious reinforcement/punishment)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is modelling

A

Others act as blueprints for our behaviour. Role models can be real people or symbolic models.
identification is used as models with characteristics we relate to are more likely to be imitated.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Social learning theory : Research methods

A

Laboratory experiments on children, which allows strict control of variables and cause and effects

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Bandura’s bobo doll experiment (1961)

A

72 3-5 year olds.
Groups watched adults interacting aggressively or non aggressively with a bobo doll. Aggression was more likely imitate if observed. Effect stronger if same gender, suggesting imitation and identification.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

SLT strengths

A
  • Bandura’s research used controlled variables and demonstrated behaviour was imitated, however lab experiment as real life examples of aggression is difficult to study
  • Inclusion of internal mental processes is an improvement. Face validity
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

SLT weaknesses

A
  • Cognitions used in SLT are not obserbvable directly, making it less scientific than behaviourists who were only objective
  • SLT can explain basic but not abstract concepts like justice
  • SLT sees behaviour as environmentally determined (nurture), but some behaviours are innate and better explained by biological explanations
23
Q

Cognitive approach : Ideas/beliefs

A

Behaviour is influenced by thoughts that can be both conscious and non-conscious - internal mental processes.
Schema are the mental representation of experience and knowledge and understanding
- Mental processes are information processing and compared to that of a computer
- Cognition and biological processes can be integrated leading to cognitive neuroscience as a way forward to understand human behaviour

24
Q

The role of schema

A

Cognitive mental frameworks/blueprints of how people/objects work. Formed from prior experience. Incorrect schema can lead to stereotypes, prejudice and bias.

25
Q

Weaknesses of the cognitive approach

A

Machine reductionist oversimplifies human behaviour, computers do not have features of human experiences such as consciousness and emotion
Little explanation as to how mental events work together in a larger mental system

26
Q

Strengths of the cognitive approach

A

Soft determinist, thoughts influenced by previous experience (schemas) and brain structure, but can be overridden by consciousness
Cognitive neuroscience provides biological evidence of the CE in the WMM located in the prefrontal cortex.
Ideas on info processing have been used to develop AI, which will have significant consequences for the economy

27
Q

Cognitive approach : research methods

A

Rely on experiments and brain imaging technologies as well as qualitative approaches to understanding everyday memory and thinking

28
Q

Biological approach : ideas/beliefs

A

The biological approach believes us to be as a consequence of our genetics and physiology

29
Q

How are genes influences on behaviour demonstrated?

A

From twin and family studies, showing the risk of disorders increasing, the closer they are to a sufferer, as they share more genes

30
Q

What are genotypes?

A

Genetic information inherited from parents that code for observable physical and behavioural characteristics called phenotypes

31
Q

Explain neurochemistry

A

Neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine can influence brain/synaptic functioning
Imbalances result in behavioural changes
Hormones released by endocrine system in flight or flight response result in behavioural changes

32
Q

Strengths of the biological approach

A

Biological reductionism led to development of effective drug treatments.
Blood tests and FMRI provide objectivity as highly controlled nomothetic research
Explanations for disorders cannot be fully explained by genetic inheritance, further biologicval reseach provides evidence for these explanations

33
Q

Weaknesses of the biological approach

A
  • Ignores other valid explanations
  • Biological determinism suggests that thought processes are the result of our biology and outside of our conscious control, goes against free will
34
Q

Biological approach : research methods

A

Very scientific methods such as scans and biochemistry, animals are often used in this approach as the approach assumes that humans are physiologically similar to animals

35
Q

Psychodynamic approach : ideas/beliefs

A

The idea that childhood experiences are crucial in shaping adult personality and that unconscious activity is the key determinate of how we behave.

36
Q

Psychodynamic approach : research methods

A

Free association – expressing immediate [unconscious] thoughts, as they happen
Dream interpretation – analysing the latent content (i.e. underlying meaning) of manifest content (i.e. what was remembered from the dream).

37
Q

Strengths of the psychodynamic approach

A
  • Holistic approach, considers the whole person rather than solely focusing on observable behaviours
  • Therapeutic impact, psychodynamic therapy.
38
Q

Weaknesses of the psychodynamic approach

A
  • Lack of empirical evidence, based on case studies and clinical observations rather than empirical evidence from controlled experiments.
  • unconscious mind is difficult to
39
Q

Humanistic approach : ideas/beliefs

A

Humanism stresses the importance of human values and dignity. It proposes that people can resolve problems through science and reason.

40
Q

Humanistic approach : research methods

A

Qualitative research methods. For example, diary accounts, open-ended questionnaires, unstructured interviews, and observations.

41
Q

Unconditioned stimulus

A

Stimulus that leads to an automatic response

42
Q

Unconditioned response

A

an automatic response to a stimulus

43
Q

Neutral stimulus

A

A stimulus that at first elicits no response

44
Q

Conditioned Stimulus

A

a stimulus that can eventually trigger a conditioned response

45
Q

What are mediational processes

A

Cognitive processes that are involved in the learning and production of new behaviours

46
Q

What are the 4 mediational processes involved in learning a new behaviour

A

Attention - To what extent was the behaviour noticed
Retention - How well was the behaviour remembered
Motor reproduction - How able is the observer to reproduce the behaviour
Motivation 0- The will to carry out the behaviour observed - usually determined by whether it was punished or not

47
Q

Who is known as the “father of psychology”, and what did he do?

A

Wilhelm Wundt
He started controlled empirical scientific research using introspection

48
Q

When and where was the first psychological lab opened

A

Leipzig, Germany (1870s)

49
Q

What is introspection

A

Analysing your own conscious experience to standard stimuli, and reporting present experience such as sensations, emotional reaction and mental images.

50
Q

Wundt AO3 (2 strengths, one weakness)

A
  • His work paved the way for later scientifically controlled research in psychology
  • His work was criticised by later behaviourist learning theorists who thought introspection could not be studied scientifically, they focused on only observable inputs and outputs. Seeing the mind as a black box not open to objective scientific investigation.
  • The study of internal mental processes was later continued by cognitive psychologists. However using experimentation, not introspection
51
Q

HUMANISTIC AO3 (SPRDC)

A
52
Q

Humanistic Approach AO3 : Practical Applicaiton

A

Maslow’s work into self actualisation has been practically applied to help businesses have an understanding of the needs of their employees and then how to best motivate them so that they are able to do their best work

53
Q

Humanistic Approach AO3 : Research Methods

A

The humanistic approach uses non scientific research methods that are more interested in a persons subjective experiences and as such there is a lack of scientific evidence.

Psychology (9 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions